UC Berkeley, Hong Kong University establish joint BS-MPH program

November 20, 2017

The UC Berkeley School of Public Health has established a cooperative bachelor of science-master degree program with the University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine (HKU).

In a ceremony held Monday, November 13, delegates from HKU and the School signed a memorandum of understanding, making official the partnership between the two universities that will set up a pipeline for students to complete a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences-Master of Public Health.

Ian Holliday, vice president and pro-vice chancellor of teaching and learning at HKU, said the agreement will expand opportunities for students in Hong Kong.

“We are looking to build additional forms of student engagement,” he said. “This is one of those—opening up a pathway for students to come from Hong Kong and spend time on the UC Berkeley campus as part of the program.”

Under the agreement, eligible students earn the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences from HKU and the MPH from Berkeley, spending the first two years at the Hong Kong campus, Year 3 at UC Berkeley, Year 4 in Hong Kong, and finally spending an additional 15 months back on the UC Berkeley campus. The two universities have separate admission and degree completion requirements.

A joint committee will oversee the supervision of study for the program.

The program strengthens the School’s connection to other global academic institutions, a central component of the School’s strategic vision for 2015-2020.

“This collaboration is evidence of the School forging relationships with economic powerhouses like China,” said Stefano Bertozzi, dean and professor of Health Policy and Management.

The signing ceremony was attended by members of the School’s faculty, including professors Fenyong Liu, John Balmes, and Amani Nuru-Jeter. Catherine Koshland, UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education, and Steve Martin, UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Research were also in attendance. The HKU delegation also went on a tour of the Berkeley Way building, which, once open in 2018, will house the School of Public Health, the Graduate School of Education, and the Department of Psychology.

The current agreement between the two universities will remain in place for five years.